Meanwhile, Republican candidate and current Harford County Executive David Craig made a similar announcement near his Havre de Grace home.

In 2006, Ulman was the youngest person to ever be elected to the county executive position in Maryland. Under his leadership, the county has had the lowest unemployment rate in the state, as well as the No. 1-ranked schools.

"On Ken's watch, Howard County has become an engine for job creation and education, and there is no doubt that he is the right leader to serve as our next lieutenant governor," Brown said during the announcement.

Ulman said he wants to bring his county's model of success to every corner of the state.

"As our lieutenant governor, Anthony Brown grew our economy and created jobs in the face of the Great Recession, and I'm honored to stand with him in this campaign to build a better Maryland,” Ulman said Monday. "We'll work to ensure economic prosperity for all of our families and build strong communities by growing our economy, creating jobs, building the most competitive workforce and developing our state's business community."

Brown is one of the nation’s highest-ranking elected officials to have served a tour of duty in the Iraq War. He and his wife live in Prince George’s County with their three children.

U.S. Rep. Elijah Cummings, D-Maryland, offered his formal endorsement to the Brown-Ulman campaign at the event.

"Anthony Brown and Ken Ulman are the best team to build on our successes and make Maryland a better place for all of our families," Cummings said in a written statement.

"These are two young attractive articulate guys, one that has solid experience in county government, the other experience as a state delegate and lieutenant governor. They really excite the Democratic base," said Don Norris, professor and chair of the Department of Public Policy at the University of Maryland-Baltimore County.

Attorney General Doug Gansler, who reported more than $5 million in campaign funds in January, and Delegate Heather Mizeur, D-Montgomery, are planning to run in the Democratic primary. Rep. Dutch Ruppersberger also is considering a bid.

Gov. Martin O'Malley, who is term limited, is supporting Brown.

Republicans entering the ring

On the Republican side of the ballot, Craig officially declared his candidacy at a ceremony in Havre de Grace on Monday.

The 63-year-old is a three-term executive in Harford County. Craig, a 10th generation Marylander, has a resume that includes assistant school principal, mayor of Havre de Grace, former state delegate and current Harford County executive.

"He has done an outstanding job and has a solid record to run on," said former Congresswoman Helen Bentley.

Craig said he considers himself a fiscal conservative and that he has ties to the GOP establishment and business community.

One political expert believes the Republican Party hardliners may make this a difficult primary for him.

"David Craig is going to have to run in a primary in a party that increasing leaning to the right. David is not an ideologue. He's more of a pragmatist. He has run county government for eight years, he has been in other positions where he's had to actually make government work," Norris said.

Craig reminded supporters that he's a regular guy -- a father and grandfather -- someone who has worked hard all his life, balanced budgets, cut taxes and made government smaller. He said the state's Democratic monopoly has left residents behind with their unbalanced government. Republicans in statewide Maryland races face a tough challenge, because Democratic voters outnumber Republicans in the state by a 2-1 margin.

"In the last eight years, at least 40 new taxes have either been implemented or increased. Forty new taxes that in the last year took $3 billion out of your pockets, out of your checkbooks, out of your savings accounts," Craig said.

Craig said he would like to reduce the state's 6 percent sales tax to "at least 5 percent." He also said he would like to eliminate the tax on inheritance. If he is elected, he said he would like to explore consolidating state agencies to streamline government.

Meanwhile, Maryland Delegate Ron George said he'll also seek the Republican nomination. He's expected to announce his campaign in Annapolis on Wednesday. The 59-year-old has been a delegate since 2007 and said he will focus on creating a better environment for small businesses.

Brian Vaeth, a retired firefighter from Baltimore County, already has filed to run.

Blaine Young, president of the Board of County Commissioners in Frederick County, is considering running for the GOP nomination. Larry Hogan, who was a member of former Gov. Robert Ehrlich's cabinet, has been mentioned as a possible candidate. However, in a telephone interview Monday he said that while he hasn't ruled out running, he is focusing now on speaking out against O'Malley's policies.

Charles Lollar, who lost a race against Rep. Steny Hoyer in 2010, is considering running. Another potential candidate is Meyer Marks, a political activist from Montgomery County.

Dan Bongino, a former Secret Service agent who lost his race against Sen. Ben Cardin, had been considering a run for governor, but he has decided to run for Congress instead.

SOME COOLER AND LESS HUMID AIR IS SET TO MOVE IN. THE FORECAST IS COMING UP IN A FEW MINUTES. THE 2014 RACE FOR GOVERNOR, ANTHONY BROWN OFFICIALLY SHOWS A RUNNING MATE. AND THE HARFORD COUNTY EXECUTIVE IS DECLARING HIS CANDIDACY AT STOPS ACROSS THE STATE. WE CAUGHT UP WITH HIM IN DUNDALK. SOME DEMOCRATS ARE CALLING THE BROWN TO GET THE DREAM TEAM. DAVID GREGG IS THE LEADING REPUBLICAN CONTENDER, AND HE IS WIDELY VIEWED AS A PRAGMATIC LEADER. I WILL SAY THAT I WILL BE RUNNING FOR GOVERNOR. THE REPUBLICAN IS A PAST ASSISTANT SCHOOL PRINCIPAL. A FORMER STATE DELEGATE, AND CURRENT EXECUTIVES. HE HAS DONE AN OUTSTANDING JOB. HE HAS A SOLID RECORD TO RUN ON. HE CONSIDERS HIMSELF A FISCAL CONSERVATIVE. HE HAS TIES TO THE GOP ESTABLISHMENT. ONE EXPERT BELIEVES THE REPUBLICAN PARTY ARE ALARMIST -- PARTY HARD-LINERS MAY MAKE THIS DIFFICULT. A PARTY THAT IS INCREASINGLY TO THE RIGHT, AND HE IS NOT AN IDEOLOGUE. HE HAS BEEN IN OTHER POSITIONS WHERE HE HAS HAD TO MAKE THINGS WORK. HE REMINDED SUPPORTERS THAT HE IS A REGULAR GUY, A FATHER, A GRANDFATHER, SOMEONE WHO HAS WORKED HARD ALL OF HIS LIFE. HE SAID THE STATE DEMOCRATIC MONOPOLY HAS LEFT RESIDENTS BEHIND WITH AN UNBALANCED GOVERNMENT. IN THE LAST EIGHT YEARS, AT LEAST 40 NEW TAXES HAVE BEEN IMPLEMENTED OR INCREASE. 40 TAXES THAT IN THE LAST YEAR TOOK $3 BILLION OUT OF YOUR POCKETS, ALL OF YOUR CHECKBOOK, OUT OF YOUR SAVINGS ACCOUNT. DEMOCRATS TRIED TO STEAL THE THUNDER ON THIS RAINY MORNING. ANTHONY BROWN OFFICIALLY CHOSE A RUNNING MATE. THE RIGHT PERSON THAT WE NEED TO LEAD US AND OUR NEXT LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, THE HOWARD COUNTY EXECUTIVE. AS A COUNTY COUNCILMAN AND AS YOUR COUNTY EXECUTIVE, I WAKE EVERY MORNING WITH A SINGULAR GOAL. SERVE THE COMMUNITY I LOVE AND MAKE IT A BETTER PLACE. THEIR TICKET ALSO GOT THE ENDORSEMENT OF CONGRESSMAN ELIJAH CUMMINGS. THEY WILL BRING A NEW LEADERSHIP TO OUR GREAT STATE. SOME ARE CALLING IT THE DREAM TEAM. THESE ARE TWO YOUNG, ATTRACTIVE, ARTICULATE GUYS, ONE WHO HAS GOT GOOD, SOLID COUNTY EXPERIENCE, AND ONE WHO IS GOT EXPERIENCE IN THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY AND AS LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR, AND BOTH OF WHOM REALLY EXCITE THE DEMOCRATIC BASE. SIX OTHER REPUBLICANS MAY JUMP IN.